Railroad-switch



N PETERS. PHGTU-LUHOGRAFHER WASHINGTON D C N rn s aras rarer OLIVER W.MARSHALL, OF VINDSOR LOCKS, GONNEOTIOU'I.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER IN. MARSHALL, of lVindsor Locks, county ofHartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in the Mode of Securing the Movable Part of the Itails or Track for Transferring a `Oar from One Track to Another; and I dohereby declare that the same is described and represented in thefollowing specification and drawings, and to enable others skilled inthe art to make and use the same I will proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the drawings, in which the sameletters indicate like parts in each of the figures. Y

The nature of this improvement consists in the mode of securing themo-vable part of the rails for transferring a car from one track, orrail to another, commonly called a switch, by means of a vibratingshaft, and dogs, made or secured thereon, arranged, and properlysecured, in, or to the chair or head block, on which the other tracks(two or more) are placed, and secured in the ordinary way, so that whenthe shaft is turned in one direction, the rails are free to move ineither direction, so as to conduct a car from one track or rails, ontoanother. Then by turning the shaft in the opposite direction, the dogswill therewith turn into a per pendicular position, into their seats,and thereby secure the rails in line with the rails or track, onto whichthe car is to be moved.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l, shows an isometrical view, bywhich its operation will be seen at one sight. Fig. 2, shows a top viewand section of the movable rails. Figs. 3 and 4:, are end sections ofthe chairs or head blocks, and dogs, one dog (Fig. 3) in a horizontalposition, sothat the rails may be freely moved, and they other (Fig. et)in a perpendicular position, hold-` ing the rails firmly in line withthe rails, or track, onto which it vmay be desirable to transfer a car&c. Fig. 5, is an end view, showing the shaft, the boxes, in which theshaft is secured, the dogs made, or secured, on the shaft, and in theiropenings, in the chair, or head block, whichprevents their sidewisemotion,-and holds the rails in place against the fixed dog, and the endof a duplicate rail, or track.

a, are T shaped rails in common use. The construction, arrangement, andthe mode of securing them in place for use, form no part of what I claimas my improvement. a,

are two lengths of T rail secured together by cross bars, or ties (inthe ordinary way), so as to allow a zig-zag motion, one end of saidrails being secured in chairs e, the opposite end resting upon, andmoves back and forth, between the xed dogs g, by means of device such asordinarily used for that purpose.

A, are chairs, or head blocks, for .holding the rails, made (so far asrelates to securing' and holding the rails in a fixed position) much inthe ordinary way. In one edge of the said chair or head block, is formeda curve, or opening for the vibrating shaft c.

CZ, are boxes made, one or more, on each chair, or head block A, or madeseparate and secured on the edge of said chair &c. by bolts and screws.

c is a vibrating or oscillating shaft secured in the boxes ci.

o are dogs secured on the shaft c, by keys or other suitable ways, sothat they shall be fixed, or become a part of the said shaft, and sothat they shall turn into the openings g, thus securing the rails afirmly between the dogs f and o.

z., is an arm or lever, secured to the outer end of the shaft o, and bywhich the shaft o is vibrated or by which the dogs b, are held in aperpendicular position, or thrown down into a horizontal position,either of which positions is secured by means of a weight 71, or its`substantial equivalent.

I make the upper end of the dogs o inclined, or wedging, so that whenthe movable rails a, are moved from one rail or track, nearly into aline with another rail or track, onto which it is desirable to transfera car &c., by turning up the dogs Z2, made or secured on the shaft c,(by means of the weighted lever h, it,` or, their equivalents) from ahorizontal, to a perpendicular position (into their slits or openingsg,) the incline or wedge end (of the dogs b) will strike against theedge of the movable rails, and incline, or wedge them against the dogsf, and in line with the rails or track a, thus firmly securing themovable rails a between the dogs o and f, and in line with the rails ortrack a.

I am aware that various ways may be employed to oscillate the shaft,with the dogs o, in connection with the changing rod m, used to move therails c-(such however I do not propose to describe as a p'art of myinvention) NOW it Will be seen that When it is desirable to change a carfrom one track to another, it is only necessary, to turn the dogs b,down, (which may be done at a considerable distance from the rails, andinside of a building if desirable-suitable provision being made tosignal, or apprise the engineer that the rails are secured) and move thetransfer rails a from the one track to the other, and turn up the dogsinto their seats, When the rails a are again secured rmly between thedogs b and j', and in line with the rails a. Thus I am enabled to securethe traverse rails a', firmly in place in the most simple, efficient,and reliable manner, thereby securing a great advantage over others nowin use, from the additional safety, both of life and property, of theemployed and the public.

I believe I have thus described my iml provement in such a manner as toenable a mechanic skilled in the art to make and use the same.

I do not claim the use of arms arranged to traverse on a shaft With therails, as shown in D. II. Dottuers application of 1855, as I use aconstruction and arrangement far more simple than his.

What I claim therefore and desire t0 secure by Letters Patent is"- Theemployment of the shaft o, dogs arranged in connection With the chairsor head blocks A, and rails a, and 65 substantially in the manner as andfor the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afliXed my name and seal this 18day of January 1860.

OLIVER W. MARSHALL. [L s] Witnesses:

EDWARD M. BLISS, JEREMY W. BLISS.

